The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 202, 4 July 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1879.

For months past it lias been pretty evident that a conflict with the Maoris was inevitable, Day. after- (Jay, week after week, the discontented natives have shown themselves more and more aggressive. All the arts and persuasions which the Government could bring to bear were applied to mollify the fancies and avert the threatened danger, but tjjey one and all failed to make the slightest change in the attitude of the natives, or to secure for the Colony any other advantage than a delay which has enabled the Ministry to make every preparation for the impending Struggle. That this delay •has now* lasted long" enough is very evident, and it is. almost a. question whether the forbearance of the Government lias not incited the enemy ; to persevere in Its hallucination, Howevjef much the Government may hkve iTeen to''blame"'in not letting ' sleeping dogs lie,' few will blame them for the caution and reluctance they have displayed in precipitating hostilities. Like the magician's apprentice they found themselves.nnable to control the power tljey evoked, and they have vainly tried to allay the- ferment which their own meddling engendered, It was a fine thing for the Government to intervene between the Maori and the jand-sharlnvho sought his broad acres, but it was a-hazardous game to play—and the'private land speculator and the

native have together proved too clever for the Native Office, The issue has now to be fought out, and the sharper and sterner the contlict the bettor it , will be both for .Europeans and Maoris. Pmihaka must be destroyed utterly be•fore confidence in the West Coast settlements can again be restored, It 'is.it pity that at such a crisis we should not have at the head of affairs a Minister who •would have the entire confidence of the Colony, Were Native cliificulti'es-tlie only embarrassments the Colony had to contend with,we might be content to let Sir George Grey and Mr Shoolian see us through them, and

supposing that these two undoubted experienced managers in Native affairs were agreed as to the course to be adopted, it might ho difficult to find better men to entrust with them. There is, however, no guarantee of Sir George Grey agreeing with any one, and though Mr Sheehan is too loyal to his chief to indicate by word or deed that a difference exists between them, we should not be surprised to lintl that divided counsels embarrassed the administrators of the Native Department. That Sir George Grey has gone outside his colleagues for advice is pretty evident, and though the prudence of such a course at a crisis may be unquestioned, It nevertheless indicates

that he is playing ' a lone hand,' and that the hand is very nearly played out, The alternatives are either Sir George Grey, resigning or being compelled to resign, He may ask for a dissolution, but it, is extremely probable that the Governor would refuse

in the present circumstances of the Colony to grant such a request.' He may also try to hold office in defiance of an adverse vote of the Assembly. He might do this, but such a course would be clearly prejudicial to both Imperial and Colonial interests, and we fancy que present Governor would be just the man in such an emergency to exorcise his pcrogative to compel the Premier to obey the will of the Assembly. Assuming that for other than reasons connected with the Native difficulty a change of administration is necessary and inevitable, it is clear that with the Native complication the change cannot be too quickly and speedily effected.

In the House of Commons on Monday night, in reply to a question, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, stated that the late Lord Lawrence., would ..he accorded a public funeral, and would be interred in Westminster Abbey.